Good Morning!

This past Sunday, I got a call from a large rowdy birthday party in Indianapolis and they had questions about how Champagne gets it’s bubbles. First, let me say, these folks are close friends and all of them had a nice “buzz” going and second let me say these people are very smart and are VP’s of corporations, Marketing and Sales Directors and even a semi famous actress was in the group. These friends enjoy wine like no group I have met.

It might do them some good to join a real “tasting” club, but I love how they have 3-4 favorite restaurants and they refuse to order the same bottle of wine, it is their mission to try anything. The conversation started like this…I am gonna put you on speaker phone, cause we have wine questions! I said ok, let me have it! What makes some Champagne more expensive than others? What makes it bubble? Why is it called Sparkling sometimes? What is Brut? What is up with the metal wrapper on the cork? When are you coming for visit? We miss you! What’s the best Champagne you have drank and how much was it? What grapes do they use to make Champagne with? Why is some pink?

OK, guys, let’s start at the top…I miss you and I wish I were there, That said…here we go! Guys, grab your glass take a sip and I will share with you what I have learned….Champagne can only be made in Champagne, France. Any other wines with carbon dixoide in the wine to create a “sparkling” wine can not be called Champagne unless the grapes come from that region in France. Any wine that does not have bubbles is called still wine.

In Champagne they grow 3 varietals of grapes, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meuier. Most Champagnes are made primary made with Chardonnay that is picked before fully ripened, so the grapes will have high acids which is great for making sparkling wines.

Then one friend piped in and shouted how can Champagne be made of Pinot Noir, the champagne is not red? I said ok, great observation…Have any of you ever drank a wine made from Zinfandel? A collective YES, have any of they ever had the wine White Zinfandel? They all said yes! I said there is a perfect example of what you are experiencing. All grapes are white, almost clear on the inside. The skins are what gives color and flavor to the wine.

So when they make Zinfandel it is ruby red, heavy fruitiness, lots of alcohol and beautiful aging capabilities. White Zinfandel is the exact same grape just treated differently. When they make Zinfandel, the juice ferments on the skins, so the extracted color and tannins become part of the wine. When they make White Zinfandel, they only allow the skins to be with the grapes just for a short period of time to only release some color and small amounts of flavor. White Zinfandel is a lighter wine, sweeter finish and less alcohol.

I heard a collective “oh” and felt a light bulb go off over their heads. These folks have never been in a winery, worked harvest, taken a tour of the tank rooms or for that matter never ask much about the wines they are enjoying. Then one friend said so if the Champagne we are drinking is slightly pink, it might have Pinot Noir in it right? YES….Then they all said OK, that is enough of a lesson for today!

Hahaha…They wanted to get back to the party, eating cake and drinking bubbles!

My next trip back to Indianapolis, I plan on hosting a big, fat tasting party and hopefully I can answer more of their questions! My friends teach me everyday more than they could ever know. I love all the questions…keep’em coming!

Much LOVE and wine,

Tammi